Nonviolent uprisings in several countries of the Middle East and North Africa, a movement many call the β€œArab Spring,” have captured the world’s attention. To Amitabh Pal, author and managing editor of The Progressive magazine, who spoke Thursday at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, the roots of those uprisings also help to illustrate the β€œrich tradition of nonviolence” in Islam.

Of course, as Pal acknowledged to an audience of about 100, that is not the prevalent perception among non-Muslims, who often see Islam as a religion largely spread and defined by violence – a notion made worse by the tragedy of 9/11. Drawing from his new book, β€œIslam Means Peace: Understanding the Muslim Principle of Nonviolence Today,” Pal recommended re-examining the sources of Islam, such as the Quran, to find nonviolent elements.

As part of his presentation, Pal sought to clarify the meaning of certain terms such as jihad, which he described as often misunderstood. β€œJihad does not mean war, bloodshed, violence or attack; rather, it means struggle, both internal and external,” he said.

When asked why he, a Hindu native of India, chose to write a book sorting through the confusion and misperceptions about Islam, Pal pointed out that the connection was natural. β€œA Pashtun friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, founded a movement dedicated to nonviolence and social reform,” he said. Pal also spent most of his childhood in an environment where Hindus and Muslims lived and worked together.

The event was a feature of the Al Ghazali Islamic Studies Program, housed in the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Global Perspectives Office, in partnership with the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ College of Arts & Humanities. It was also part of two 2012 themes, β€œPeople Power, Politics and Global Change” and β€œCovering Global Crises from the Frontlines,” as well as the β€œIndia Speaker Series.”

Other sponsors and partners included the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Middle Eastern Studies Program, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Political Science Department, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Diplomacy Program, The India Program at ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Nicholson School of Communication, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ Book Festival 2012 in association with the Morgridge International Reading Center, the ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ International Services Center, ΒιΆΉΣ³»­΄«Γ½ LIFE and the Global Connections Foundation.